Ballast-log for vessels



(No Model.)

s. MENZIE'S. BALLAST LOG FOR VBSSELS.

No. 589,133. Patented Aug. 31,1897.

UNITED STATES? IPA-TENT Fries,

BA LLAST-LOG- FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,133, dated August31, 1 897. Application filed April 6, 1896. Serial No. 586,398. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEWART MENzIEs, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented Improvements in Ballast-Logs for Vessels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in devices for ballasting avessel in port after the cargo has been discharged and before asufficient quantity of cargo to steady the vessel has been stowed;and'the object which I seek to attain in and'by the said improvement isto provide a ballast-log .thatwill operate and serve the requiredpurpose both while the vesselto which it is applied is being towed fromplace to place and when it is at anchor.

To such end and object my said invention consists in the describedconstruction and combination of parts producing an improved ballast-logthat when placed and adjusted for operation will not shift or be actedon by the movements of the vessel when under-way, all as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to thedrawings that accompany and form part of this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation the hull ofa vessel having my improved ballast-log placed in position and attachedfor operation. Fig. 2 is an end view looking at the stem of the vessel,or the right-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of myimproved ballast-log. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on an en-'larged scale.

The logs A A are built up of heavy planks or timbers secured together byclamps B B.

On the top of each log and near each end of it is fixed a heavy ring oreye 0, and to these eyes are fastened ropes D D, by means of" which thelog A is suspended over the side of the vessel. I E E are chain cablessecured to onelog from the under side and passing under the keel of thevessel to. the log on the opposite side, to which it is secured at apoint in line with its point of attachment to the first-mentioned log.These cables E are run through holes or apertures F made for thatpurpose in the logs, each cable being passed through the hole in one logand through the corresponding hole in the other log from beneath upward.A ring on the end of the cable of larger size than the aperture inthe'log prevents it from slipping out of place, and either end can bedrawn up or allowed to run through the aperture to tighten the cable orto slacken it under the vessel, or the cable is made fast at one end toone log, and at the other log it is secured by a fastening that allowsthe cable to be loosened and drawn up or paid out in setting andadjusting the logs to the size of the vessel and its position in thewater.

The means which I provide for drawing up and securing the cable consistsof the hand bar or lever L,having claws on on the end to grasp and holdthe cable by gripping it between the links.

The claw-bearing end is curved, as shown in Fig. 3, and the opposite endis provided with an eye for tying down and securing the outer end of thebar in position; This device is operated to draw up the cable throughthe log by. taking a grip with the claw and bearing down on the outerend of the lever, the claw-bearin g end by virtue of its curved shapeserving as a fulcrum and giving proper leverage for that purpose. Byloosening the lever and taking a fresh grip after each pull the cable isdrawn up to any desired degree of :tight-ness, and when the logs areadjusted the cable is held by tying down the outer end of the lever L toan eye inthe log, as shown in Fig. 3.

. The front end of one log is connected with the front end of the otherlog by a cable G, carried around the bowof the vessel and secured torings or eyes H, and the rear ends of the logs are connected in the samemanner bya cable I, passed around the stern. These cables G I serve toprevent the logs from moving longitudinally out of place while thevessel is being towed or changed from one place to another, and inconjunction with'the chain cables E E and the ropes D Dtheycause eachlog to control the other and both logs to maintain their relativepositions at the same points on opposite sides of the vessel.

To the inner face of each log, or that side which lies next the vessel,is fastened a wearing plate K, covering the metal clamps on 'the log toprevent them from marrin g the sides of the vessel. These planks aretemporarily secured by nailing them to the face of the log and arereadily replaced by new ones when worn.

In placingthis apparatus in position for use the logs, previouslyconnected together by the chain cables, are floated from one end of thevessel into position, with the cables E passing under the keel, afterwhich the ropes D D are drawn up and made fast on the deck and the foreand aft cables G I are dropped into position or are passed around the170w and the stern and secured to the rings H J on the logs. The cablesE are finally drawn up to bring the logs up against the sides of thevessel and take up the slack.

\Vhen thus applied, the apparatus will maintain its working positionduringall movements of the vessel. The logs will not be affected by anylisting or rolling of the vessel, for the buoying effect of one log isalways controlled and is added to by the other, to which it ispositively connected by the chain cables, and the movements of thevessel through the water in being towed from one berth to another or inbeing shifted in position will not change the position of the legs, asthey control each other through the fore and aft cables.

\Vith this apparatus I am able to move an unloaded vessel with safetyfrom one berth to another and to tow an empty vessel to a considerabledistance.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described apparatus for ballasting unloaded vessels inport, consisting of the ballast-logs A A, the chain cables E E passingthrough holes in the logs and loosely connected to said logs to beshortened or extended in length from one log to the other under the keelof the vessel, the claw-bar or lever L as a means for drawing up saidcable through the hole in one'log and securin g it to the log, thesuspending-ropes D D and the fore and aft cables G I connecting the saidlogs together around the bow and the stern, respectively, of thevesseh'for operation as set forth.

2. The combination of the ballast-logs, formed of planks securedtogether byclamps B B and the removable wearing plates K on the innerface of the logs covering the clamps, said logs having holes runningvertically through each leg near the ends thereof, the chain cablespassed through said holes from beneath upward and loosely attached tothe log, whereby the said cables can be taken up and tightened, thesuspending-ropes D D and the fore and aft cables G I connecting thefront ends and the rear ends of the said logs around the bow and thestern of the vessel respectively, constructed and arranged for operationas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal.

STEWART MENZIES. [L. s]

\Vitnesses:

O. \V. M. SMITH, N. E. W. SMITH.

